Divisi
When to plant Teff in West Omo
South West Ethiopia, Ethiopia
Known here as ጤፍ (tef)
Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a fine, tufted grass that carries the smallest grain of any cereal in the world — seed almost as fine as dust.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 22 Mar 2027 – 9 Aug 2027 opens in 25 weeks | 1 Jan 2026 – 31 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.1 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 21 May 2027 to 7 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 88–174 days per hectare, by hand | |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 22 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for West Omo is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 9 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in West Omo
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For teff in West Omo, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. You cannot flatten it, but you can farm it: plant along the contour rather than up and down, ridge or tie ridges to hold water on the slope, and expect shallower rooting than the crop would manage on flat ground.
The 2026 season in West Omo
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,318 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,318 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 68% of this area. |
| 68% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 314 growing days · about 1,320 mm · February to January |
|---|---|
| 19% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 296 growing days · about 1,190 mm · March to December |
| 13% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 346 growing days · about 1,500 mm · February to January |
last updated 16 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 35% of yield here.
What teff needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.2 and 5.8 |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus, nitrogen, zinc, sulphur and boron |
What it takes to grow teff in West Omo
| Planting material | About 3,000,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 63 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 21 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 52 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 88–174 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a teff crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow Teff with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes West Omo as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
Teff in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will teff grow well in West Omo?
West Omo rates as favourable for teff.
When should I plant teff in West Omo?
Typically 22 Mar 2027 to 9 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across West Omo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
